Set and release device for circuit-breakers and other mechanism.



O. F. SHEPARD, JR. SET AND RELEASE DEVICE FOR cmcun BREAKERS AND OTHER MECHANISM.

APPLlCATiON FILED DEC. 18, 1911' 1 $232,106, Patented July 3, 1917,

3 SHEETSSHEET l- \-W W 0. F. SHEPARD, .IR- SET AND RELEASE DEVICE FOR cmcun BREAKERS AND OTHER MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- IB, IQII- A 1,232,106. Patented July 3, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

31A 3 0 I N 0. F. SHEPARD, JR.

SET AND RELEASE DEVICE FOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND OTHER MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED 0:26.18, 1911.

1 ,232, 1 O6. Patented. J uly 3, 191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR E. SHEPARD, JR, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SET AND RELEASE DEVICE FOR CIRCUIT-BREAKERS AND OTHER MECHANISM.

Application filed December 18, 1911.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Oscar: F. SHEPARD, Jr., a citizen of the United States of Amen ica, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Set and Release Devices for Circuit-Breakers and other Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to set and release devices for use in connection with circuitbreakers, dumping mechanism or the like in which an automatic release is especially desirable, although hand-operated releases may be considered under the said invention herein. It relates, as well, to the holding and releasing mechanism of magnetic switches, and its principal object is to provide a latch-device with a minimum tension that is not affected by or susceptible to ordinary jars or shocksand that will readily and positively serve to release the circuitbreaker, or the other devices, above mentioned, requiring a release.

In referring to circuit-breakers, (more especially in this case,) it is well known that one general type of circuit-breakers is that in which a holding-toggle is brought into alinement or self-sustaining position and the breaker is released by the gravitating weight of the handle, the blow struck in falling serving to drive out the holdingtoggle. This type is arranged with little or no tension on the latch and is not subject to displacement by ordinary jars or shocks or affected by the results of corrosion, but it has the disadvantages of the time element in said falling of the handle and in the further fact that said handle may be released and gently lowered, thereby leaving the holding-toggle in position, in which case the circuit-breaker is really without a release and it no longer serves its intended purpose.

Another general type of circuit-breaker is that of the spring-release type in which the holding-toggles are not generally brought into self-sustaining position and of necessity places considerable tension on the retaining latch. This type requires the most skilled and expert workmanship and extremely deli cate adjustment of said latch, and is further liable to trip by the slightest jarring if sen- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1917.

Serial No. 666,608.

sitively adjusted and failure to release if not sensitively adjusted.

This type is also subject to change by at mospheric conditions or by corrosion of engaging parts of the latch.

My invention herein, applied to either of the above-named general types of circuitbreakers, is adapted to overcome the disadvantages thereof.

My invention consists in connection with a circuit-breaker or other device requiring a release, of a setting-handle, a bridge or closing-member, toggle-arms between the pivot-point of said setting-handle and said bridge with one toggle-arm of sufficiently extended length to engage a lug adjacent said pivot-point whereby said setting-handle is adapted to operate the said toggle-arms when said handle is moved to disconnect the bridge from the customary contact-blocks and magnetic tripping means adapted to release said setting-handle when an overload is present.

My invention further consists in certain details of arrangement and construction of parts that will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation showing my invention ap plied to a circuit-breaker of the gravity release or first general type above-named; Fig. 2, a front elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the device seen in Figs. 1 and 2 but showing it in open position; Fig at, a fragmentary elevation, made on a larger scale but showing the pivot-portion of the operating toggle-arms seen in Figs. 1 and 3; Fig. 5, a side elevation illustrating a spring-actuated release circuit-breaker equipped with my improved set and release device above-named, in which the customary nonalining toggles are replaced by my herein-shown alining toggles; and Fig. (3, a fragmentary front elevation of Fig. 5.

Referring to said drawings, 1 indicates the terminal plate or base upon which the circuit-breal-rer is mounted and 2, each one of the contact-blocks on said base.

indicates the customary laminated bridge-member for said contact-blocks 2.

-.l indicates a coil mounted on the terminal plate or base 1 and provided with a magnetic plunger 5. This coil has a casing 6 on which the bridge carrying-arm 7 is pivoted at 8. Said casing is provided with a pair of lugs 9 to each of which one end of a toggle-arm 10 is pivoted. V

11 indicates each one of a pair of togglearms pivoted to lugs 12 on said bridge carrying-arm 7.

The toggle-arms 10 and 11 are each pivotally connected together at a point about half-Way between the opposite pivot-points thereof, as shown at 13, but each toggle-arm 11 however has an extension 16 that forms a lever and projects to a point adjacent a pivot or pin let in said lugs 9.

A setting-handle 15 is mounted on the pivot or pin 14, intermediate said lugs 9. Upon the hub portion 17 of the settinghandle I provide lugs or projections 18, which are so disposed as to be slightly spaced from the lower ends of the lever-extensions 16 of the toggle-arms 11 at the time the setting-handle is in upright or closed position. The end oi' each t0ggle-arm 11 may be cut away at the vertical center line, to form an offset, as shown at 19 in Fig. 4-.

If the lever 16 of each toggle-arm 11 is extended to engage the setting-handle it is evident that said handle can not be operated or moved to the limit of the space between the projection 18 and the ofi'set as shown in Fig. 4 Without operating the toggle de vice and thereby break the circuit across the contact-blocks and it is practically im-v possible to even gently lower the handle without operating the bridge carrying-arm 7. Assuming the weight of the settinghandle to be concentrated at a point five times the distance of lug 18 from the pivotpoint 1st and that each toggle-arm 11 is twice the length of each toggle-arm 10, it is quite readily seen that the toggle releasing force at the point 13 is ten times that of the releasing forcein the case of a circuit-breaker in which toggle-arms 10 and 11 are of the same length and the lugs 18 on the settinghandle 15 engage the lower toggle-arms 1 0.

The setting-handle'15 is provided with a hook-extension 20 that projects normally over the magnetic-coil 4 and is adapted to engage a detent or holding-latch 21 that is pivotally mounted at 22 on the casing 6. One end of the detent 21 lies directly over the magnetic plunger 5 of the coil 4L and consequently, when said coil is duly energized, it raises the plunger 5 and causes it to release or trip the detent 21, thereby releasing the setting-handle 15 and permitting it to gravitate or fall to the position shown in Fig. 3, where its nose-piece 23 is suitably caught or stopped by means of the'projec ting jaws 2% on the casing 6. The said setting-handle, when in its raised position shown in Fig. 1, is almost balanced and, when it is not held by the detent 21, it im mediately falls or swings downwardly and brings the bridge carrying-arm with it by means of the toggle-arms 10 and 11. It is thus seen'that- I obtain practically an immediate release of said bridge carrying-arm without waiting for the setting-handle 15 to reach its lowermost position before releasing same, as in the case of other types of circuit-breakers constructed after this general style. The time required for the setting-handle to gravitate or fall is very short, but it is really quite long when an electric-circuit is considered, allowing the current to increase greatly beyond the set amount. Thus it canbe readily seen that with my improvement applied as shown in Fig. 1 it overcomes the disadvantages mew tioned above.

The'circuit-breaker is set from the position shown in Fig. 3 by simply raising the arm or setting-handle 15, the latter then bearing against the pivot-pin'13 that extends across the path of the handle, as shown in Fig. 2. Thus the setting-handle carries the toggles, which latter, in turn, tend to straighten to the position shown in Fig. 1, a stop 25 limiting the movement of the toggles and preventing them going too'far. The latch device then automatically catches or engages the ho'ok extension 20 and the setting-handle is locked until released by the magnetic plunger 5.

Fig. 5 shows my invention applied to .a spring release circuit-breaker.

My improved toggle arrangement is ap- 1;

plied between the pivot 14 for the settinghandle 15 and the lugs 12 on the bridge carrying-arm 7. The same arrangement of long toggle-arms is provided and the'lugs 18 placed on said setting-handle adjacent the hub or pivot-point so as to be slightly spaced from the lever-extensions 16 of the toggle-arms 1.1 when the setting handle is in set position. The setting-handle 15 is, in

this case, provided with a spring 26, which u" tends to pull the setting-handle upwardly and break the circuit, but is prevented from so doing by the latch-arm 27 pivoted to the frame 28 at 29. The spring 26 is merely a releasing one of light tension but just sufiiciently strong on contraction to raise the handle 15 and impart the force necessary to trip the toggles and as required by my multiplied-lever action. The heavy orstrong throw-out spring 26, shown in dotted-lines a in said Fig. 5, for the bridge-arm 7, is mounted within the frame 28, and is suitably held between the base-plate 1 and the lower end 7 of the bridge-arm 7, such end T being also shown in dotted lines. A magnetic-coil 30 is provided with pole-pieces 31 and 32, and an armature 33, which latter, when drawn up to said pole-pieces of the coil 30 by the energizing of the coil, trips thelatch 27 by coming into contact with the 1:11

side extensions 34 on the rear arms 35. The latch-arm 27 is provided with a forked hook 56 at its outer end, which latter engages projections 37 on the setting-handle and prevents said setting-handle from releasing the circuit-breaker. It will be noted that the latch mechanism need not be of delicate structure, as it merely holds the settinghandle against the tension of the spring 26.

The position of the setting-handle seen in Fig. brings the toggles into substantial alinement and the lateral lugs 38 on the said handle are in contact with the lugs 39 on the outer toggle-arms 10.

Modifications of my invention might be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as, for instance, an independent lever arm having an offset at its outer end, similar to that shown at 19, in Fig. l could be used instead of extending each toggle-arm 11, and mounted, such lever-arm being pivotallymounted at its inner end in the lugs 12 and swinging mid-length on the transverse pin 13 that also pivotally-connects pairs of toggles to pairs of toggles 11, in suitable position for engagement with a lug on the setting-handle to positively throw out the toggl earms.

The setting-handle can be fulcrumed on an independent pin instead of on the common pin used for one set of the toggle-arms.

No-voltage coils and underload coils, instead of the overload coils shown, can also be used for releasing the latch or any combination of same, as is common in circuitbreaker practice.

I claim l. A circuit breaker comprising a pivoted bridge arm or circuit closing member, a setting handle, pivotally connected toggles adapted to normally hold said bridge arm in set position, a lever pivotally connected at one end to the bridge arm and intermediate its ends to the toggles, said lever at its free end adapted to engage a lug or projection on the setting handle and thereby positively throw the said pivotally connected toggles out of normally alined or set position, when said handle is moved from its set position.

2. A circuit-breaker comprising a bridgearm or circuit-closing member, a settinghandle, toggles in substantial alinement to hold said bridge-arm, a lever-extension on one or more of said toggles, and a lug provided on said setting-handle adjacent the fulcrum of same and adapted to engage said lever-extension to throw said toggles out of set position.

3. A circuit-breaker comprising a bridgea rm, a setting-handle, a double-set of pivotally-connected pairs of toggle-arms adapted when in alinement to normally hold or sustain said bridge-arm in set position, a leverarm extending forwardly from one or more of said togglearms, a lateral lug on the setting-handle adjacent its fulcrum and adapt ed to engage said lever-arm that extends within its path for the positive release or thrown-out of alinement the said double-set oi toggle-arms.

a. In a circuit-brealrer, a switch having a circuitclosing member, a setting-arm, toggles, with one end of said toggles pivoted on the same pin as the said setting-aim and one long toggle-arm extending from the point of connection on the circuit-closing member to a point adjacent the pivot-point of the setting-arm and a lug on said setting-arm adapted to engage said long toggle-arm and to trip the toggle when said setting-arm is moved.

5. In a circuitbreaker, a switch having a circuit-closing member, a setting-handle, toggles, with one end of said toggles pivoted on the same pin as the said setting-handle and one long toggle-arm extending from the point of connection on the circuit-closing member to a point adjacent the pivotpoint of the setting-handle, a lug on said settinghandle adapted to engage said long togglearm and to trip the toggle when said settinghandle is moved and magnetically-operated latching-means for said setting-handle.

6. A switch of the character described comprisin a circuit-closing member, a set ting-handle, toggles having one or more lever-extensions, and direet-engaging means provided on the setting-handle adjacent its pivot-point and adapted to operatively engage said lever-extensions when said settinghandle is moved from closed position.

7. In a circuit-breaker or other similar device requiring a positive and instant emergency-release, a bridge-arm, a settinghandle, pivotally-connected toggles interposed between the bridge-arm and settinghandle, and a lever pivotally-connected to the toggles and the bridge-arm and adapted to positively release said toggles from normal alinement when said setting-handle is moved from its normally set position.

8. In a device requiring a positive and quick release, an operating or setting arm and one or more sets of pivotally-connected toggle-arms, one of which toggle-arms has a suitable lever-extension that is adapted to be engaged by said setting-arm for eli'ecting the release of said toggles in the event of an overload or other necessity of release.

9. In a circuit-breaker or other similar device requiring a positive and instant emergency-release, a bridge-arm, a setting member, pivotally-connected toggles normally in alinement to hold or sustain said bridge-arm in normally closed position, a lever-arm pivotally extending from the bridge-arm and connected to said toggles, and a lug projecting from said setting-member and adapted to positively and operatively engage said lever-arm for the release of said toggles from said normal alinement and the bers, and a lug provided on they settingconsequent openlng or throwing out of conineinbeir adapted to operatively-engage said 1-0 tact the said bridge-arm. lever-extension to release said toggles. 10. In a device requiring a positive and quick release, a bridge or closing-member, a OSCAR E setting-member, toggles in substantial aline- \Vitnesseszment to hold sald bridge or closing-member, JOHN ELIAs J NES, a lever-extension on one of the toggle-mem- LORETTA LU K. 7

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 7'

Corrections in Letters Patent No. 1,232,106.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,232,106, granted July 3, 1917, upon the application of Oscar F. Shepard, Jr., of Cincinnati, Ohio, for an improvement in Set and Release Devices for Circuit-Breakers and other Mechanism, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 93, after the Word device insert a semicolon; same page, strike out lines 93-96 and insert the following description: fragmentary front elevation of Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a perspective view of said Fig. 5, in which the two extended toggle-arms engage with the lugs on the set-and-release handle; and Figs. 8, .9, and 10, various modifications of the set-and-release device. (The supporting frame work and latch is omitted in Figs. 7,8, .9, and 1 0 for the sake of clearness.)

Page 3, line 17, after the Word instance insert the Words as shown, in Fig. 8, in which; same page, after line 36 insert the following paragraph:

Fig. 8 illustrates a construction in which the extended toggle-arms are replaced by two ordinary toggle-arms 10 and 11 and a special lever-arm 40 is placed between the two sets of toggles. This special lever-arm takes the place of the extended toggle-arm shown in the previous figures and is arranged to engage a lug 40 on the setting-handle so that it will throw the toggle-arms out of alinement as the setting-handle is moved from the set position. Fig. 9 is somewhat similar to Fig. 8 except that the separate lever 40 isfulcrumed on an independent pin 41 and attached to the bridge-arm independent of the togglearms. Fig. 10 is similar to Fig. .9 but the lever of the second class is replaced by a lever 42 of the rst class, which latter is fulcrumed upon an independent pin 42. The power end of this tripping-lever engages a lag 43 on the setting-handle diagonally opposite the lugs on the setting-handle shown in the previous figures. Thejulcrumfor the tripping-lever in this case is attached to the stationary framework. same page, line 64:, claim 8, strike out the Word forwardly; and that the said Letters iatent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and scaled this 20th day of August, A. 1)., 1918.

[SEAL] F. W.- H. CLAY,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

. Fir-68.

Corrections in Letters Patent No. 1,232,106.

It is hereby certified that in Letters latent N 0. 1,232,106, granted July 3, 1917, upon the application of Oscar F. Shepard, Jr. of Cincinnati, Ohio, for an improvement in Set and Release Devices for Circuit-Breakers and other Mechanism, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Pa e 1, line 93, after the Word device insert a semicolon; same page, strike out ines 9396 and insert the following description: fragmentary front elevation of Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a perspective view of said Fig. 5, in which the two extended togglearms engage with the lugs on the set-and-release handle; and Figs. 8, 9, and 10, various modifications of the set-and-rrilease device. (The supporting frame work and latch is omitted in Figs. 7, 8, .9, and 1 0 for the sake of clearness.)

Page 3, line 17, after the Word instance insert the Words as shown, in Fig. 8, in which; same page, after line 36 insert the following paragraph:

Fig. 8 illustrates a construction in which the extended toggle-arms are replaced by two ordinary toggle-arms 10 and 11 and a special lever-arm 40 is placed between the two sets of toggles. This special lever-arm takes the place of the extended toggle-arm shown in the previous figures and is arranged to engage a lug 40 on the setting-handle so that it will throw the toggle-arms out of alinement as the setting-handle is moved from the set position. Fig. 9 is somewhat similar to Fig. 8 except that the separate lever 40 is julcrumed on an independent pin 41 and attached to the bridge-arm independent of the toggle-arms. Fig. 10 is similar to Fig. 9 but the lever of the second class is replaced by a lever 42 of the first class, which latter is fulcrumed upon an independent pin 42 The power end of this tripping-lever engages a lug 43 on the setting-handle diagonally opposite the lugs on the setting-handle shown in the previous figures. The fulcrum for the tripping-lever in this case is attached to the stationary framework. same page, line 64, claim 3, strike out the Word forwardly; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and scaled this 20th day of August, A. D., 1918.

[SEAL] F. W; H. CLAY,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

